GitHub CLI MCP Server

Local setup required. This server has to be cloned and prepared on your machine before you register it in Claude Code.
1

Set the server up locally

Run this once to clone and prepare the server before adding it to Claude Code.

Run in terminal
git clone https://github.com/munch-group/gh-mcp.git
cd gh-mcp
pip install -e .
2

Register it in Claude Code

After the local setup is done, run this command to point Claude Code at the built server.

Run in terminal
claude mcp add github-cli -- python "<FULL_PATH_TO_GH_MCP>/dist/index.js"

Replace <FULL_PATH_TO_GH_MCP>/dist/index.js with the actual folder you prepared in step 1.

README.md

An MCP server that wraps the GitHub CLI for repository management.

GitHub CLI MCP Server

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that wraps the GitHub CLI (gh) tool, providing comprehensive access to GitHub functionality through a standardized interface.

Features

This server exposes the following GitHub CLI functionality:

Repository Management

  • gh_repo_list - List repositories for a user or organization
  • gh_repo_view - View information about a repository
  • gh_repo_create - Create a new repository

Pull Requests

  • gh_pr_list - List pull requests in a repository
  • gh_pr_view - View a pull request
  • gh_pr_create - Create a pull request
  • gh_pr_merge - Merge a pull request
  • gh_pr_checkout - Check out a pull request locally

Issues

  • gh_issue_list - List issues in a repository
  • gh_issue_view - View an issue
  • gh_issue_create - Create an issue
  • gh_issue_close - Close an issue

GitHub Actions

  • gh_workflow_list - List workflows in a repository
  • gh_workflow_view - View details about a workflow
  • gh_run_list - List recent workflow runs
  • gh_run_view - View details about a workflow run

Releases

  • gh_release_list - List releases in a repository
  • gh_release_view - View information about a release
  • gh_release_create - Create a new release

Search

  • gh_search_repos - Search for repositories
  • gh_search_issues - Search for issues and pull requests

Gists

  • gh_gist_list - List your gists
  • gh_gist_create - Create a new gist

Other

  • gh_api - Make authenticated GitHub API requests
  • gh_auth_status - View authentication status
  • gh_status - Print information about issues, PRs, and notifications

Prerequisites

  • Python 3.10 or higher
  • GitHub CLI (gh) installed and authenticated

Installation

From GitHub

git clone https://github.com/munch-group/gh-mcp.git
cd gh-mcp
pip install -e .

Prerequisites

  • Python 3.10 or higher
  • GitHub CLI (gh) installed and authenticated

Verify GitHub CLI is authenticated:

gh auth status

Usage

With Claude Desktop

# After installing with pip
claude mcp add gh gh-mcp-server

# Or run directly
claude mcp add gh python /path/to/gh-mcp/server.py

Or add manually to your Claude Desktop configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gh": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["/path/to/gh-mcp/server.py"]
    }
  }
}

Standalone

Run the server directly:

python server.py

The server communicates via stdin/stdout using the MCP protocol.

Examples

Once configured, you can use the tools through your MCP client. For example, with Claude Code:

  • "List all open pull requests in my repository"
  • "Create a new issue titled 'Bug in login page'"
  • "Show me the status of workflow run #123"
  • "Search for Python repositories with more than 1000 stars"
  • "View release information for version v1.0.0"

Tool Parameters

Most tools accept optional parameters for filtering and customization. See the tool descriptions in the code for full parameter details.

Common parameters include:

  • repository: Specify repository in OWNER/REPO format (defaults to current repo)
  • limit: Maximum number of items to return
  • state: Filter by state (open, closed, all, etc.)
  • web: Open result in web browser instead of returning data

Error Handling

The server handles errors gracefully and returns informative error messages:

  • Command timeouts (60 seconds)
  • Invalid parameters
  • gh CLI errors
  • Authentication issues

Security

This server executes gh commands with the permissions of the authenticated GitHub CLI user. Ensure you trust any client using this server, as it can perform actions on your behalf such as:

  • Creating/modifying repositories
  • Creating/closing issues and pull requests
  • Triggering workflows
  • Creating releases

License

MIT

Tools (5)

gh_repo_listList repositories for a user or organization
gh_pr_createCreate a pull request
gh_issue_createCreate an issue
gh_workflow_listList workflows in a repository
gh_apiMake authenticated GitHub API requests

Configuration

claude_desktop_config.json
{"mcpServers": {"gh": {"command": "python", "args": ["/path/to/gh-mcp/server.py"]}}}

Try it

List all open pull requests in my repository
Create a new issue titled 'Bug in login page'
Show me the status of workflow run #123
Search for Python repositories with more than 1000 stars
View release information for version v1.0.0

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key features of GitHub CLI?

Comprehensive repository management including listing, viewing, and creating repos. Full pull request lifecycle support from listing to merging. Issue tracking capabilities including creation and closing. GitHub Actions workflow and run monitoring. Direct authenticated GitHub API access.

What can I use GitHub CLI for?

Automating the creation of pull requests during development workflows. Monitoring the status of CI/CD pipelines directly from the chat interface. Quickly searching for and retrieving information about project repositories. Managing issue backlogs without leaving the AI environment.

How do I install GitHub CLI?

Install GitHub CLI by running: git clone https://github.com/munch-group/gh-mcp.git && cd gh-mcp && pip install -e .

What MCP clients work with GitHub CLI?

GitHub CLI works with any MCP-compatible client including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, and other editors with MCP support.

Turn this server into reusable context

Keep GitHub CLI docs, env vars, and workflow notes in Conare so your agent carries them across sessions.

Need the old visual installer? Open Conare IDE.
Open Conare